Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece features an incredibly expansive power system which is primarily driven by Devil Fruit abilities. As such, quite a lot of characters sport unique transformations by utilizing their powers. Up until recently, the strongest transformation in One Piece was Monkey D. Luffy’s Gear 5, which is the awakening of his Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika, tapped into in Chapter 1044 on March 28, 2022, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #17.
Now, 4 years later, One Piece has officially dethroned Luffy’s Gear 5 with the latest reveal of Nerona Imu’s Devil God transformation, stemming from the usage of his Akuma no Mi powers, as officially confirmed in One Piece Chapter 1179 in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #19 on April 6, 2026.
One Piece Unleashes Nerona Imu’s Akuma Transformation In Chapter 1179, Surpassing Luffy’s Gear 5
One Piece Chapter 1179 was released on April 6, 2026, and it marked a historic moment in the entire series for us. It is this chapter that officially unveiled the full character design of Nerona Imu for the very first time as he decided to descend upon Elbaf in an attempt to erase both Sun God Nika as well as the Nidhoggr from existence. In doing so, Eiichiro Oda gave all of us a proper glimpse of Nerona Imu’s powers, and it was confirmed that he was indeed a wielder of a Devil Fruit.
Creator of the World Government (One of the First 20)
Power: Akuma no Mi
King of that World, Saint Nerona Imu
— Nerona Imu Introduction Box from One Piece Chapter #1179
Interestingly enough, Nerona Imu’s Devil Fruit is quite different from all the others that exist in the One Piece world, and it is called Akuma no Mi. Utilizing the power of the Akuma no Mi, Nerona Imu can transform into the Devil itself, or ‘the Devil God,’ as he likes to call himself. This Devil God transformation debuted in Chapter 1179, and its powers were shown in the subsequent chapters, ranging from 1180 all the way to 1183, in which Brooks’ flashback officially took over.
Loki: So your power is God’s Domination? I think you mean a contract with the devil!
Imu: God? Devil? What is the difference?
— Imu’s explaining his Akuma no Mi ability in One Piece Chapter #1181
Nerona Imu’s Akuma no Mi transformation is unique. It gives him two giant horns, a pair of massive black wings, tanned skin, and a naginata as a weapon. He can also make use of the power of Omen, which is what he calls his military might, and use it to craft various weapons such as bullets, bombs, shields, morning stars, swords, and even spears, among a plethora of other things, as officially showcased in chapters 1180 through 1183.
“Omen is my military might. It’s a power that dwells within all living things.” — Nerona Imu explaining his Akuma no Mi Omen, One Piece Chapter #1181
Imu’s physical capabilities are on such a level that he can easily overwhelm Loki, despite him having the power of the Ice Squirrel Ratatoskr at his side. He can one-shot the likes of Zoro, Sanji, and Hajrudin, as showcased officially in One Piece chapter 1180, which was released in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #21 on April 20, 2026. Evidently, right now, Nerona Imu stands tall as One Piece’s strongest character in the current era, and his Akuma transformation is the strongest that we have seen in the story so far.
Why Akuma no Mi Is A Unique Devil Fruit Transformation
Nerona Imu’s Devil God powers are special in more ways than one. Not only does this Devil Fruit make him strong by granting the power of Omen, as well as various contracts and spells, but it is also special in the sense that it carries unique abilities that make it very different when compared to any of the fruits that exist in the world of One Piece. All the Devil Fruits that exist in the One Piece world fall under a specific naming pattern. Each Devil Fruit has a naming pattern that is repeated twice, and all of them are usually written by the author Eiichiro Oda in kanji. For instance, Luffy’s Hito Hito no Mi, Buggy’s Bara Bara no Mi, Kuzan’s Hie Hie no Mi, and Ace’s Mera Mera no Mi, all follow a similar naming pattern. Imu’s Akuma no Mi is very different.
The Akuma no Mi only has a singular name, and instead of kanji, it utilizes katakana. In other words, this is the ultimate Devil Fruit in the world of One Piece, with a name that quite clearly embodies that as well. Wielding the power of a Devil Fruit that precedes all others that exist in the world of One Piece, it is no surprise to see Nerona Imu utilize transformations that far surpass the likes of Monkey D. Luffy’s Gear 5 or Loki’s Nidhoggr.
“What’s going on? Even at God Valley, I never felt Haki like this!” — Scopper Gaban confirms Imu’s transformation is the strongest, One Piece Chapter #1180
Luffy Could Develop A New Transformation To Surpass Nerona Imu’s Akuma Powers
The Elbaf arc of One Piece is setting up the ultimate battle between Monkey D. Luffy and Nerona Imu, following the conclusion of the Brook flashback, which is set to continue in One Piece Chapter 1185 on June 14, 2026, in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #29. As things are, Luffy stands no chance against Imu, and even his Gear 5 isn’t enough to take him down. This is evident from the fact that Luffy and Loki scale to a similar level of power, yet Loki seems to be struggling to land even a single proper hit on the sovereign of the world.
“Possessing a body with the powers of rubber, and fighting in whatever way he fancies, bringing smiles to the faces of people, the Warrior of Liberation…also known as the Sun God, Nika!” – The Gorosei explaining the Sun God Nika’s power, One Piece Chapter #1044
In order for Luffy to defeat Nerona Imu or even push him back, he needs a stronger transformation, and this is something that Eiichiro Oda could introduce in the climax of the Elbaf arc, following the conclusion of the Brook flashback. This transformation could stem from Luffy upgrading his Haki and combining it with Gear 5, or it could be something as simple as taking the awakening of his Devil Fruit to a whole new level and attaining a greater overall level of strength. If Luffy manages to do that, then he would also hold access to a unique transformation that directly rivals the power of the Akuma no Mi that Nerona Imu possesses.
We are eager to see how Eiichiro Oda sets up the Luffy vs Imu battle once it begins and what abilities he gives to him. At this point, what can be said with absolute certainty is that Luffy needs to get much stronger if he is to fight Nerona Imu, and if he doesn’t, both Elbaf and Luffy himself will be crushed.
All the new One Piece manga chapters by creator Eiichiro Oda can be read via Manga Plus and Viz Media.
